Necrological services for National Artist Andrea O. Veneracion at CCP on Sunday

By Antonio C. Hila

Philippine Daily Inquirer

5:33 am | Thursday, July 11th, 2013

MANILA, Philippines— A necrological service will be held on Sunday at 9 a.m. at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Main Theatre for the late National Artist for Music Andrea O. Veneracion, after which interment will follow at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City.

Veneracion, founding choirmaster of the University of the Philippines (UP) Madrigal Singers, died Tuesday at 10:50 p.m. in her home. She was 84 years old.

She suffered a stroke on Dec. 31, 2005, and never recovered. She regained consciousness for a while, and was comatose until her death. She would have turned 85 Thursday.

Her remains will be cremated Thursday and the ashes will be brought to Immaculate Conception Cathedral Grottos in Cubao.

Born in Manila on July 11, 1928, Veneracion is survived by her husband, Dr. Felipe Veneracion and their five children, and grandchildren.

A byword in choral singing

Her name has become a byword in choral singing. She formed the UP Madrigal Singers in 1963 and held its first concert on Oct. 1 the same year at the UP Abelardo Hall. Singing a cappella, in the now familiar circular form, she would occupy the first seat and from there lead the group to glorious singing. It did not take long for the music lovers and the public to heap praises on the choir.

In 1980, the choir changed its name to Philippine Madrigal Singers (Madz) when it became a resident company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines with annual financial subsidy.

“Mrs. Veneracion was my mom’s colleague at the UP College of Music so I knew her since I was a kid,” composer/arranger/conductor Ryan Cayabyab told the Inquirer. “She was one of two choral conductors who recognized my ability to write choral music. She was instrumental in bringing my works to international audiences through the UP Madz.”

“She spawned a new generation of choral conductors and choristers, and richly deserves being named a National Artist for all her contributions in choral music and Filipino music in general.”

The Madz celebrates its golden anniversary this year. Since its founding, the group has become an icon of choral excellence and is adulated worldwide for its sterling performances.

In celebration of the Madz’s golden anniversary and in recognition of Veneracion’s effort to propagate and uplift choral singing in the country, the CCP is sponsoring the first International Choral Competition in the country on Aug. 7-10, 2013.

‘Winningest’ choir

The Madz has won a string of first prizes in international choral competitions in several European countries, and has earned the distinction as the “winningest” choir in the country. Its crowning glory was its winning the grand prize at the European Grand Prix Competition (EGPC) in 1996, virtually making it the only Philippine and Southeast Asian choir to have won the prestigious award.

In 2001 Veneracion passed the baton to her assistant choirmaster, Mark Anthony Carpio, who led the choir to win the Grand Prize once more in the EGPC in 2007, making it the first choir to win the Grand Prix twice and the only Asian choir to have done so. The choir has cut several recordings done in the country and in other European and Asian countries.

In recognition of her expertise in choral singing, Veneracion held important positions in international choral associations. She was vice president for Asia of the International Federation for Choral Music in 1990. In 1996, she was the artistic chairperson of the International Choral Festival in Cagliari, Italy. She was also chair of the International Festival in Taipei in 2001. She sat as an adjudicator in several international competitions in Europe and Asia.

When people ask how a five-year-old Pinoy rock and blues band named Electric Sala was chosen to compete in the 29th International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis, Tennessee, in January this year, Al Ferrer, creative director and dad to the four strapping young men who compose the band, has a ready answer:

His boys, he says, referring to Paolo, 20, Miguel 19, Carlos, 17, and Abdon, 13, were “born in the ’90s and raised in the ’70s.”

Indeed, music for the Ferrers has been an ongoing family affair since the freewheeling ’70s, with Al and Mabet Ferrer passionately raising their brood on the music of the era.

It was one smooth-running family organization, recalls Al, with Mom and Dad acting as team leaders in charge of directing, schooling, dinner, Mass at every gig and the boys’ homework.

Then there are the boys’ friends who step up when needed. When Miguel is on leave for college, Jurell Jamison and Jello Marcelo slide in to fill the gap as brothers in arms and extended family.

In fact, the band’s name perfectly describes a typical home scene. “Our sala (living room) is filled with electric guitars, amps and instruments, so voila! It’s an Electric Sala!” says the Ferrer patriarch.

The family harmony—in all sense of the word—Al traces to karma and “good trip,” jargon of the ’70s that saw the Ferrer couple starting a business in tune with the spirit of the times.

Some 17 years ago, on Aurora Blvd. in San Juan, the Ferrer couple opened a small boutique named Deacon Blues. The display window was a drum set draped with Mother’s denim jeans, an iconic brand at that time.

Recalls Al: “It was what was called a ‘head shop.”’

The ’60s and ’70s term immediately evokes bohemian visions of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, but in this case, it more accurately meant a shop that stocked rock and reggae T-shirts, vintage clothing and long-playing records on wood beams that served as shelves. It was modeled on Mother’s Air Cargo in the former Sta. Mesa Market (now the site of SM Centerpoint), founded and owned by Bob and Julie Villegas, which supplied the ’70s “hippies,” with their Mother’s Jeans, bags and “Tum Tum Tree” paper (rolling paper named after the street where the Villegases used to live in Quezon City).

When Deacon Blues store opened, Al and Mabet had acquired the rights to make and sell Mother’s brand in their store. “Deacon Blues even had a public consignment space for vinyl records of whoever was in the bin; Led Zep one day, Beach Boys the next. There was an Artist’s Nook, with two stools for rapping (conversation) and sharing whatever,” Al recalls of those heady days.

“It was in this very environment where Electric Sala was nurtured,” says Mabet. “(The air was) psychedelic and rocking, while baby Carlos, our third child, slept to the Allman Brothers.”

While pregnant, Mabet cradled a set of headphones around her tummy, sending the not- yet-born son bopping to Jimi Hendrix and Robert Johnson months before his birth. It was an innovative headstart to the next member of Electric Sala, and a preview of a future filled with music.

Did she think the headphones on her womb worked? “Yes,” says Mabet. “A good idea for any pregnant mom to do.”

“Good vibrations, man,” Al laughs.

Visiting band members interacted with the young boys who as children ran free in the store, listening to their elders and laughing. These were their main influences: musicians dropping by with new music to play in the store and small talk for the kids. Everyone was a “tito (uncle).” One day, it could be Tito Jun (Lupito) and the next day, reggae Tito Papa Dom.

By 2010, the brothers were complete and four strong, with the youngest, 10-year-old Abdon as the drummer. “Paolo had formed a group several months before but had to disband as the other members could not practice consistently,” says Al.

“Paolo thus enlisted Miguel (then 16) for bass and Carlos (then 14) for rhythm guitar. Abdon volunteered for the drums, the only spot left if he was to be part of the four-piece,” the older Ferrer adds.

Abdon, now 13, took just 12 drum lessons; the rest is hardcore passion. He joined his brothers and took the fans and audience to heart. The young teen can flail and hit the beats with unlimited power and fury. “I love the energy from the crowd,” volunteers the youngest band member in the family.

Groupies aged 16 to 20 usually hound Abdon for autograph and a photo op, while a protective mom hovers over the teeny-boppers and babes.

Electric Sala has jammed with Pinoy Rock and Rhythm greats: Wally Gonzales, Jun Lopito and The Jerks’ Chikoy Pura, to name a few. It has opened for Razorback and are weekend regulars at Tiendesitas in Pasig, playing lots of classic rock and blues covers to please every age category.

Fate interceded in the band getting its first gig, as Al was driving and just happened to drop by the now defunct Back Door Blues Café on Timog Avenue, Quezon City. Music lover/entrepreneur/owner, Elwyn Zalamea auditioned the boys to hear this young band’s stuff. Fortuitously, Electric Sala got the gig, and the rest is history.

Elwyn now produces “Blues ‘n’ Roll,” which features his pick of the best blues bands in mini-concerts held at various venues around town every month. The spontaneous events get a lot of promo mileage by word of mouth and social media.

A string of opportunities followed, among them band competition and music contests like Ramon Jacinto’s, “Face Off” and “Family Band Contest.”

RJ’s interest in the youngsters led to Electric Sala endorsing RJ Guitar Center and its trove of amps and other musical instruments. The youngest, Abdon the drummer, also got to be its image endorser.

“Sessionistas,” a band competition in Greenhills got the boys their Tiendesitas gig, a weekly Saturday night slot, and more attention. Getting gigs in the right spaces put them in the blues rock stream and club scene tours. The word was out.

Armed with plenty of practice and a long set list of Hendrix, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Clapton, Allman Brothers, Rory Gallagher; classic rock characterized by extended riffs and wailing licks, it was inevitable for Electric Sala to draw attention.

Fans so far have included harp player Tom Colvin of the Asia Blues Network and Radio, Captain Eddie Santos and Peng Perez de Tagle, president and treasurer, respectively, of the Philippine Blues Society.

Electric Sala was invited to join the Philippine Blues Society competition for a chance to represent the Philippine delegation to the Memphis, Tennessee International Blues Challenge (IBC). It was a shot in the dark.

The IBC had two categories for the challenge. A Professional Blues Band with a grand prize in guitars and recording equipment. KatMagic Express was the PBS professional entry after local tryouts. Another category was marked for the under-twenties: the IBC Youth Showcase introduces new talent, with no prizes but the thrill of a life in the real world of blues. It means being world class on the road at its heart and soul city, Memphis, Tennessee.

Memphis is where so much of the history of Blues and Rock began and continues. Memphis is where Graceland is located, the home of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll. Sun Studios is a museum of such recording icons as Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash, and pays tribute to the mighty Mississippi River and Southern US cuisine: breaded deep-fried alligator, crawfish and of course, BBQ. Listen to Paul Simon’s “Graceland” on Memphis and get a sense of its history.

The band’s ride to Memphis was a blurred 36-hour, point-to-point trip. Al explains the long flight: “The US Immigration in Detroit had to verify with each club in Memphis that the band was playing, and also made sure that they were not going to be paid. This (long verification) process caused us to miss our connecting flight to Memphis. But everything checked out and we made it to IBC’s Youth Showcase.”

By the time they hit the ground, the boys barely had anything but adrenalin and live music going for them, from club to venue. Not to mention it was dead winter in Memphis, in January. From a balmy 300C in the Philippines to a bone-rattling 00C! But the blues warmed them up and the band shone.

Between challenge performances was an opportunity to jam with a world-class blues band, James Supra Blues Band (check out www.JamesSupraBluesBand.com). It was not until landing back home in Manila that it sunk in: what a big deal and experience that trip was, a once-in-a-lifetime moment in Memphis, Tennessee.

Early last month, the band released its first all-original Pinoy rock album, “Electric Sala, Vol.1.” Launched at Tiendesitas in an event emceed by Angel Laura of DZRJ-FM and the RJ Society of Music, the album was welcomed by such special guests as Joniver Robles, Chad Robles, Chikoy Pura (NU107’s Rock Awards Best Guitarist, 199 and Ramon Jacinto, an Electric Sala patron. The guests jammed with the young band to the crowd’s unfettered delight.

With the release of its first album, the whole family is focused on marketing, quite a challenge at a time when the point of sales has changed drastically.As recent as 10 years ago, success was measured based on the number of CD units sold in record stores. But there are not many record stores/kiosks anymore. CDs have been replaced by digital downloads, hard drives and USB, or thumb drives.

According to a 2011 report from AGB Nielsen Philippines, 52 percent of Filipinos have a computer connection at home. This has changed the way music is marketed to the listening public. Two immovable forces—social media and its inevitable partner, the Internet—now rule the road to fame through several formats—Facebook, Yahoo, iTunes, YouTube, Google.

Fortunately, Al is a true believer of the new media. “Facebook can monitor the band’s stats and popularity. We can post gigs and content. The Net enhances promotion through websites.” The songs are online in HD stereo and video. The boys have embraced as well the Filipino Internet radio station, RadioRepublic.ph.

But because terrestrial radio still reaches a large Filipino provincial audience, Al and Mabet choose the best songs from the eight new originals on “Electric Sala, Vol. 1” and find a matching radio station with a format friendly to that particular genre. They give the songs to the station’s programmer.

Al continues: “A radio station may play one song in the afternoon and a different one at night” and the DJ might plug the band and/or the album.

But he is realistic as well. Here and now, the radio reality is that the music is secondary and the emphasis is on the DJ’s prattle on his or her chosen topic of the day. “Radio is something you listen to in traffic, man,” Al acknowledges. Music has become ambient and mere background to the DJ’s chat and commercials.

Al and Mabet may be largely responsible for this unique family band, but they admit that their music tastes and politics are their own and have not figured much in their sons’ choice of music genre.

They do share “the politics of music advocacy,” Al muses. “But music now lacks the messages carried by the sounds of the ’70s,” he adds.

Definitely children of their own times, the Electric Sala boys love their ’80s and ’90s remakes of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck or David Jacobs-Strain. But they also do covers of Juan de la Cruz, Anak Bayan and the dozens of now classic Pinoy rock influences.

But where will Electric Sala be in 10 years’ time?

The Ferrers agree that time is no obstacle; they see themselves playing on.

Well after all, BB King is over 80 and still onstage and the thrill is not gone. How could it be any different for this family venture? •

LOS ANGELES, USA – British rock legends The Who are to stage their "last big tour" the year after next, frontman Roger Daltrey said in comments published Tuesday, October 29, citing their advancing years.

But he told Rolling Stone magazine that the band, whose members are approaching their 70s, will continue to make music after that "until we drop."

The massive 2015 world tour "will be the last big tour," said Daltrey, while adding: "We aren't finishing after that. We intend to go on doing music until we drop.

"But we have to be realistic about our age. The touring is incredibly grinding on the body and we have to draw a line in the sand somewhere. This will be the last old-fashioned, big tour," he said.

The band – led by 69-year-old Daltrey and rotary-armed guitarist Pete Townshend, 68 – have spent the last year or two staging their rock opera "Quadrophenia" at shows in Europe and America.

But next year's swansong tour will focus on their hits – including classics like "Baba O'Riley," "See Me, Feel Me" and "My Generation," with which they closed last year's London Olympic Games.

"People don't want new stuff .. Most people that want to come to a show want to hear what they grew up with. Let's not kid ourselves. We will always sell more tickets if we play the hits. That's a fact. The economics of the road, obviously, demand that you sell a lot of tickets," he said.

In 2014 they might work on a new album, he said. But after the 2015 tour they will slow down, and maybe consider single-location residency style concerts.

"Maybe that means sitting down in a theater for a couple of weeks," he says. "That means you travel to once place, but you're stationed there. You aren't touring.

"It's the touring, the schlepping, that kills you. The music is a joy. The two hours on stage every night is a joy, even though it's incredibly strenuous. The schlepping and changing hotels every day, that can become incredibly hard work."

The Who are among a dwindling band of rock icons who came of age in the 1960s and are sill performing, including the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. Lou Reed, godfather of punk, died over the weekend aged 71. – Rappler.com

It's expected: When a concert organizer announces that a certain artist or group is coming over to the Philippines for a gig, Facebook comes alive! The air is practically buzzing from the excitement of fanboys and fangirls who have been waiting for a long time to see their idols perform live.

This is usually followed by a post where ticket prices are broken down by section at whatever venue they are playing. The buzz is now accompanied by murmurs of how expensive the show is, and joking offers of whatever body part the fans are willing to sell in efforts to afford tickets that cost an arm and a leg. There are also "wais" suggestions that compare the prices to the same artist's concerts held abroad and computations are made to determine if it would be more practical to watch the show elsewhere. There are some cases when it actually was cheaper to watch elsewhere, and some concertgoers with ready passports were able to spring for those instead.

In a bid to understand why the concerts are more expensive in the Philippines, Esquire reached out to several organizers, who chose to maintain their silence. One insider (bless her soul) willingly gave out the details, after we promised her anonymity.

Here, we give her explanations of what goes down into the planning and financing of a concert, to give us a better understanding of what goes behind ticket pricing.

PRICE FACTORS

Our source says that so many slices are made on that ticket price pie. Fans often don't see what goes behind the planning and the actual cost that goes into staging a concert.

1| Bringing everybody over

First up is the amount that the organizers have to shoulder to bring the artist to the country. "This includes the airfare, lodging, handling of the equipment, shipping permits, et cetera," she explains. It is not just the artist too, because he will want to have his band, back up dancers, road manager, bodyguards, and more.

2| Venue

If the organizer does not have a partner venue they will have to book a place to hold the concert.

3| Local permits and taxes

Foreign artists are required to pay equity clearance and royalty fees. Controversial groups: For the vocalist, they have to pay Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit; while each band member will have to pay Asosayon ng Musikong Pilipino. There is also an entertainment tax, a local government tax, working visas - and yes, believe it or not, barangay and police clearance! (Wonder where all these taxes and funds are going? We don't know either.)

3| Stage design.

This gives the overall "concert experience", explains our source.

The organizer once brought a foreign rock band over, and as she was paying the fees in behalf of the vocalist, she asked an OPM employee what the equity fee was for. "My friend says hindi din daw niya alam kung bakit kailangan magbayad. Even the ones in the organization don't know why they are collecting the fees."

4| It?s a gamble

No matter how popular the artist is, no matter how big the fanbase is perceived to be, there is a risk involved. "There is the issue of Piracy vs. Earning from their records. Local and foreign artists get ripped off every day. So, in order to earn, they sometimes raise their talent fee as much as they can. Which is understandable." She reminds everyone about piracy - every time somebody downloads an album via torrent, copies their album and sells them illegally, that's being a pirate, mateys.

Booking foreign artists to perform in the Philippines is considered a gamble. It's not really a matter of who's in demand anymore. "Now that most of us have access to the Internet, artists are compelled to share their music by getting gigs in and out of their country. Since some of them have a small following compared to other acts, booking them to perform means the organizers may or may not have a sold-out show. Which means, on top of everything that both the artists and the organizers paid for, they're now pressed to sell tickets at a higher price."

THE RISK FACTOR:

1| Low ticket sales

2| A no-show. Yes, this has happened before, the organizer reveals. Some have even cancelled a the last minute.

3| How the entire production went down. Examples would be if there were problems with the set, or it rained and ruined the band's equipment because it was an outdoor event. There are many other issues that the organizers are held accountable for.

4| Scalping/people buying from scalpers. This is a perennial problem for big concerts, the source says. In Singapore, they already started doing something about it by voiding tickets on the resale market. There is nothing being done here at the moment.

ECONOMICS AT PLAY

Why do some concerts cost much more than the others?

"It basically boils down to the demand for the artist. The more famous they are, the higher the ticket prices," source explains. This doesn't always apply, though, as she shares that there have been cases where the promoters wouldn't know the artists' worth until they're actually here, especially if it's the artists' first time to perform in the country or there are not enough albums or songs for a concert.

She lets some gossip slip: One performer was part of a well-attended roadshow presentation, but the concertgoers know only one of his songs.

Okay, here's the upside of the Internet (the downside being piracy, unchecked scalping, and all the other iffy things happening. The source says, "whenever an artist plays, we're sure to see posts of it on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and/or Snapchat. That attracts the other musicians. They see the Pinoys' warm reception and concert energy, the way we sing along to our favorite songs, and aminin natin, magaling magpatrend online ang Pinoy kasi sobrang addict natin sa Internet. That's a plus for them kasi added promotion!" she laughs. "The Filipinos are a fun bunch. How we support our favorite artists knows no bounds. Political conflicts aside, we're okay people."